Business Leaders for Michigan is an organization dedicated to making Michigan a "Top Ten" state for jobs, personal income and a healthy economy. Serving as the state's business roundtable, Business Leaders for Michigan is composed of the chairpersons, chief executives or most senior executives of the state’s largest job providers and universities. Read more...

DETROIT, Mich., February 26, 2015 –Performance data for each of Michigan’s 15 public universities, released online today by Business Leaders for Michigan, shows the state’s higher education sector is performing better than most peers in producing talent while working to control costs and increase access.

The Michigan Performance Tracker for Public Universities reports on about 30 different metrics that measure productivity and efficiency, affordability and access, and economic impact.

Visitors to the Performance Tracker can see exactly how much Michigan invests in its public universities compared to other states as well as how Michigan’s universities compare to peer universities in other states on graduation rates, degrees awarded in critical skills areas (including science, technology, engineering and math), and the cost of attendance.

Data available in the dashboard shows that most Michigan universities receive less state appropriations but generally out-perform their national peers.

DETROIT, Mich., February 23, 2015 – Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM), the state’s business roundtable, projects that both the Michigan and U.S. economies will continue to grow through the next 6 to 18 months. The forecast is reinforced by nearly half of the state’s largest employers projecting that they plan to increase hiring or make new investments in Michigan this year.

“Michigan’s largest employers reported much stronger confidence in Michigan’s and the U.S. economy since the third quarter forecast,” said Doug Rothwell, BLM President and CEO. “The national outlook has improved for a variety of reasons – lower energy prices, good job numbers and America’s relative economic strength compared to other regions. In Michigan, the November election results had a positive impact on the future outlook. What’s interesting is that this is the first time in nearly three years that the outlook for the national and state economies are nearly the same.”

The 2015 legislative session is already underway, and it's clear that state lawmakers and the Governor have a busy year planned. So do we.

There's no time to lose when it comes to implementing The Michigan Turnaround Plan. In fact, we must act more aggressively than ever to boost jobs and incomes. We need to invest in the assets that matter most, our transportation and higher education infrastructure, and take steps to cement the gains we've made so far.

BLM is a strong supporter of this May's road funding ballot proposal. We're also pushing hard for increased funding for job training and the state's colleges and universities. We applaud the Governor's 2016 budget recommendation because it recognizes the importance of these things in boosting incomes and growing jobs. Our agenda also includes ongoing work to ensure support for the growth of New Michigan industries like life sciences, mobility, engineering, natural resources, and logistics. We are aggressively working to help grow the things that matter most-transforming Michigan into a center for innovation and an aspirational destination for all.

It's going to be an exciting year as Michigan takes more steps toward its future as a Top Ten state.

Colleges & Universities Well-Positioned to Help MI Become a Top Ten State

LANSING, Mich.—Michigan’s higher education institutions must play a more central role if the state is to achieve an economic transformation, according to a report released today by Business Leaders for Michigan (BLM).

“As our overall economy becomes more knowledge-based, we’re seeing a growing demand for both more skilled and highly-educated workers and a greater reliance on higher education to drive innovation,” said Doug Rothwell, BLM President & CEO. “Higher education is one of the state’s most critical assets for moving Michigan forward. We need to ensure affordability and access, strengthen outcomes and employment transitions, and grow overall economic impact.”

BLM’s report, which was developed in collaboration with higher education experts from across Michigan and the U.S., as well as business, economic, and public policy leaders, clearly shows a correlation between educational attainment and per capita income.

Doug Rothwell, BLM President & CEO said: “A survey conducted by Business Leaders for Michigan showed that over half of all small, medium, and large business are having difficulty finding talent with the right skills to fill available jobs. This isn’t surprising considering Michigan ranks only 26th in technical credentials per 100,000 of the working age population. We strongly support the Governor’s recommendation for an increase in appropriations for technical job training and education to help fill these high-demand, high wage occupations.

“We also know that there is a strong correlation between more education and higher incomes. Today, Michigan ranks in the bottom 20 states for both educational attainment and personal income. To help raise both, we need to make college education more affordable. The Governor’s 2016 proposed budget marks the fourth consecutive year of increased appropriations tied to performance standards. We applaud the Governor for continuing to make college affordability a priority.”